The Smokey Wire : National Forest News and Views
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This week, the Ravalli Republic had yet another glowing article about a “thinning” project around the very popular Lake Como Recreation Area of the Bitterroot National Forest. The paper billed the project as “an effort to protect the forest from a mountain pine beetle invasion.” Here’s a snip: Bob Walker and his small crew have … Read more
Ed raised the question of “where do people on the blog think “intensive management, thinning and prescribed burning” belong.. everywhere? roadless? primitive areas?” So I’ll go first. I think that for places where there is no “timber industry” currently: A. “Thinning for protection” thinning should be done around communities and roads in fire country . … Read more
This post is the third in a series, started by Sharon, regarding government resistance to paying what appears to be inflated legal costs to lawyers representing a coalition of environmental litigation specialists. The second posting, by me, provided links to the lawyers’ documented claims for nearly $1.4 million for their work: http://ncfp.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/cows-vs-fish-1-4-million-in-legal-fees-revisited/ These claims included … Read more
To (sort of) understand the sequestration and its effects on the Forest Service, here’s a crash course in the Forest Service’s budget. FS spending is divided into the following budget accounts (FY2013): National Forest System ($1.63 billion): This money is used primarily to pay salaries & benefits for the 40,000 folks who do day-to-day national … Read more
Mr. Lauridsen may be the only internationally recognized composer who worked on a hotshot crew and as a fire lookout for the Forest Service. A native of the Pacific Northwest, Lauridsen worked as a Forest Service firefighter and lookout (on an isolated tower near Mt. St. Helens) before traveling south to study composition at the … Read more
Key findings from the synthesis were: Efforts to promote resilience of socioecological systems increasingly consider the interaction of social values and ecological processes in pursuit of long-term mutual benefits and social learning for local communities and larger social networks. Research indicates that strategic placement of treatments to reduce hazardous fuel accumulations and to restore fire … Read more
Great piece by Stephanie Ogburn in High Country News here (Thanks to Matthew for finding it). Yet the switch comes with its own set of costly hassles — and questions about the value of government outsourcing meant to save money. While the Forest Service won’t comment on the decision to switch to eRecruit, a service … Read more
Good to share with your local urban tree aficionados.. Practical Advice for Using Insect-Killed Trees Resource Guide for Forestry Professionals Developed by U.S. Forest Service, University of Minnesota Duluth MADISON, Wis. – Millions of dead and dying trees in the United States must be properly used or disposed of as a result of the devastating … Read more
I noticed this study.. Climate change’s effects on temperate rain forests surprisingly complex Science-based strategies help managers to adapt to general warming trend Longer, warmer growing seasons associated with a changing climate are altering growing conditions in temperate rain forests, but not all plant species will be negatively affected, according to research conducted by the … Read more
Here is the link and below is an excerpt. To many of his former enemies, John McCarthy is now the face of collaboration. He and ICL joined Owyhee County, ranchers, local officials and others in the initiative to protect wilderness and ranchers. He and other environmentalists were told by the Owyhee Cattleman’s Association there would … Read more